You’re going to die.
I don’t say that to shock you or weigh you down with fear. I say it because it’s the truth. Death is inevitable. It doesn’t wait for the right moment, and it won’t ask for your permission. You don’t know when it’s coming, but you know it is.
This isn’t a scare tactic—it’s a wake-up call. You’ve been running hard, chasing after goals and dreams, striving for more. But have you stopped to ask yourself the one question that really matters: Why? Why are you running? Who is all this for? What does God want you to do with the time He’s given you?
Proverbs 27:1 warns us, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Tomorrow isn’t promised. And maybe the reason life feels unsteady, like no matter how much you gain, it’s never enough, is because you’ve been living for yourself instead of asking your Creator why He made you.
Two Doors: The Invitation of Death
Death stands before you, not as an enemy, but as an invitation. It offers two doors: one unavoidable and the other a choice.
The First Door: The Inevitable Death
Physical death looms over all of us. No one escapes it. But what if we stopped seeing death as the great enemy? What if we saw it as a friend—a reminder that life is short and precious?
Psalm 90:12 challenges us, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
The inevitability of death strips away the illusion that we’re invincible. It forces us to stop drifting through empty routines and to live with urgency. Death isn’t here to scare you; it’s here to wake you up. It’s telling you that every moment matters when it’s aligned with God’s eternal purpose.
The Second Door: The Chosen Death
Then there’s the death you’re invited to choose—the death to self. This is not the hopeless death of despair but the freeing, transformative death that Jesus calls us into.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
This is the paradox of the Gospel: By laying down your life—your pride, your plans, your ambitions—you gain something far greater. True life. Life that’s not defined by what you achieve but by who you are in Christ.
Romans 6:4 puts it beautifully:
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
When you choose to die to yourself, you’re freed from the chains of selfish ambition, fear, and sin. And when the first door—the door of physical death—comes, you’ll face it with peace, knowing you’ve already found true life in surrender to God.
Hello, Friend: The Gift of Death
The presence of death—both physical and spiritual—is not a curse. It’s a gift. Physical death reminds us that our time is finite, pushing us to live wisely. Self-death invites us into the fullness of God’s design for us.
You’ve been running, striving, building—hoping that the next thing will finally satisfy you. But has it? Or do you find yourself more tired, more discontent, more uncertain? Maybe it’s time to stop building for yourself and ask God what He wants you to build.
Living with Purpose: Make It Count
When Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33), He was calling us to reorder our lives. To make Him—not ourselves—the center. Every moment we have is a gift from God. Don’t waste it on things that will burn away. Invest it in things that will last.
The Challenge: Two Questions to Answer Today
- What is one area of your life where you’re drifting?
Take an honest look. Are you stuck in routines, relationships, or ambitions that lack purpose? Write it down. Name it. And instead of trying to fix it yourself, bring it to God. Ask Him for clarity and courage to take the next step. - Are you willing to walk through the second door?
This is the bigger question. Will you surrender your ambitions, your plans, your need for control? I know it’s hard. But I also know it’s worth it. Take a moment to pray. Ask God what He’s calling you to lay down so that you can take up the life He’s offering you.
Final Thoughts: Death Looms, But So Does Life
Death looms, but it’s not the end—it’s a door. One door leads to eternity with God. The other leads to freedom and purpose here and now. Together, they remind us to stop wasting time and start living for what truly matters.
What will you do with the time you’ve been given? Will you keep running after things that leave you empty, or will you stop and ask God what He made you for? Will you walk through the second door—the door of surrender—and die to yourself so that you might truly live?
I’m praying for you. I’m here for you. And I believe in the work God still wants to do in your life.
Make it count, Until it ends.